The Times Between
by KHLostEmpress
Summary: A collection of one-shots that go with my story Final Hope in which I'll write various scenes that go along with the "canon" of my story. In other words, if you haven't read Final Hope, this will mean nothing to you. Pairings: Takari/Sorato/Kenyako/Koumi
1. Target

Setting: France—2 ½ years

Character: Takeru, age 16

* * *

Takeru Takaishi was tired.

He didn't want to dwell long on why, because it brought back the memories of things he'd chosen to rather not think about.

A chime from his backpack caught his attention. He knew what it was, and he wasn't even sure anymore why he still read them, but he couldn't quite bring himself to stop. Takeru had almost been about to leave school for the afternoon but took a seat on a bench in the school's yard instead. He slung his backpack onto the bench next to him and opened the front pocket, where his kept D-3 and D-Terminal. He hadn't used the D-3 in almost three years now, but he'd taken it wherever he went ever since he was eight and old habits were hard to break. He ignored the device for now and picked out the D-Terminal. He opened it and couldn't resist the tug upwards on his lips as he read the words in the email displayed on the screen. It wasn't anything important, just Daisuke complaining about some kid on his soccer team that missed a goal in their practice that he, Daisuke, could have so easily made. Then he frowned and did the same thing he did with every message he received from Daisuke: he deleted it without a reply.

He was about to put it away, when he heard a voice above him. "What's that, Takeru?"

Takeru looked up to find his classmate and friend of sorts, Mathis, hovering above him pointing at his D-Terminal. It was still odd to him a bit to have so many people addressing him by his first name. Back in Japan, really only his family and the other Digidestined had called him Takeru. "It's a thing that I can use to email my friends in Japan," Takeru said, slowly, still learning the language a bit and using the simplest words possible.

"Cool," Mathis said. "The Japanese always have the coolest things. Like this!" he said, reaching into Takeru's backpack and pulling out the D-3, holding up the green device. "I bet this is some kind of awesome technology we'll never get here in Europe."

"No!" Takeru exclaimed, standing up and easily snatching the D-3 from Mathis's hand. "Please don't touch that. It's important to me." Mathis stared at him with confusion and shock on his face. Takeru realized he had slipped back into Japanese in the panic of his D-3 in someone else's hands. "Sorry," he said more calmly, this time using French. "It was a gift from an important friend."

"Oh," Mathis said. "I'm sorry. I didn't know." Mathis smiled at him. "I didn't think that you got mad about anything. You've always seemed so laid back."

Takeru offered a rare smile, which brought back the memories of times when it was him _not _smiling that was the rare thing. "Not much can," he said.

"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then," Mathis said.

"Tomorrow," Takeru said, waving to him as Mathis ran away. He put away his D-3 and D-Terminal back into the front pocket of his backpack and slung it back over his shoulder. He walked home like he usually did, trying not to think about anything.

"I'm home," he called out of habit as he walked into his apartment. There was no answer; he wasn't really expecting one. It was a rare day indeed if his mother was home when he got back from school. His afternoon went about as it usually did. He did his homework, watch a little television (he still didn't know the language very well, but he could follow the shows, mostly), and when it became clear that his mother was _not_ going to be home for dinner, he fixed something up and ate alone. He lounged about the house watching the minutes tick by as he sort of waited for his mother to come home. As the day lagged on, he figured that his mother was probably doing another late night at her office and decided to just call it a day.

He opened the door and walked into his bedroom. Once he closed the door, he sank to his knees as sudden feelings of despair and hopelessness crowded into his heart.

_You're alone…everyone has abandoned you._

Takeru shook his head. This wasn't right; that couldn't have been his thought. They _didn't_ abandon him. It was the other way around.

_If they really cared, they would have tried harder._

No, he had pushed them away. It was his fault. He leaned back against the door and covered his face with his hands. He was so tired. Tired of fighting his mother about the Digital World. Tired of trying to interact in a foreign culture. Tired of deleted messages he never responded to. Tired of pretending his heart didn't ache every time he thought of the others.

_Alone…_

This wasn't right. It couldn't _be_ right. His hands fell from his face as another thought crept into his mind. He wasn't usually prone to these thoughts of despair. He wondered if it could be possible that he was being attacked by the darkness from the Digital World. He didn't know how it could be possible, but somehow he knew it was true.

As soon as this thought occurred to him, the darkness seemed to grasp tighter in his chest. He felt like he was sinking. He didn't know how to fight this. The darkness had never attacked him like this before. He feared the darkness was going to win, like it had beaten Ken all those years ago, and the others would suddenly become confronted by him in the worse way possible: as another Digimon Emperor. Once that thought took hold, he felt like he was just sinking further into the pool of despair. He wondered if this was how Hikari felt when the Dark Ocean took her.

Hikari…

Just the thought of her brought a small smile to his face and he felt the darkness recede just a little bit. His eyes wandered to the picture on his desk. He often ignored it, but never quite managed to gather the will to put it away. It was of him and Hikari, over four years ago, when they had gone to visit Mimi in New York. He had been so happy then with Hikari at his side; she was smiling that soft smile he loved so much. Images began to flash through his mind; of their first true meeting once Myotismon was defeated; looking after her for Taichi when she was sick; reuniting after three years; finding their Digi-Eggs; finally, saying goodbye to her before climbing into the car for the airport.

Images of the other Digidestined and their times in the Digital World ran across his mind. He shouldn't have given up trying to convince his mother. He should have explained better how important it was to him. One day, they would see each other again. Takeru had to believe that; _hope_ for it. He _knew_ it.

A soft golden light began to emanate from him. He realized that the darkness was fleeing his heart, but was too stunned by the fact that he was _glowing_ to think much about it. As suddenly as it came, the gold light faded. He remembered the time Hikari had begun to glow to save the Numemon. Perhaps the Digital World had reached to him to help him dispel the darkness.

He stood up and walked over to his desk. He picked up the picture and just stared at it for a minute. He knew. He didn't care how long it took or what it would take to get there, but he knew he had to go back to Odaiba. Back to _her_.

He rested the picture against his forehead. "I'm coming home, Hikari," he whispered.


	2. Messages

Setting: Odaiba during "France"

Character: Daisuke, age 15

* * *

"For the last time, Jun, I don't know where he is," Daisuke said over the phone, completely annoyed that his sister still bugged him on occasion for the boy-of-the-month's number/location/name though she had already left for college earlier that year. He hadn't even bothered to listen to _which_ boy she was infatuated with this time before explaining to her _again_ that he wanted no part in her stalkish tendencies.

He slammed the phone back into the cradle and escaped to his room, having a great need to rant to _someone_ about this. He quickly ran through his closest friends (the Digidestined) in his mind. Both Taichi and Yamato had threatened to inflict great and terrible things to Daisuke if he _ever_ brought up Jun to them again. He couldn't rant to Ken without risking reminding him of Sam and opening that particular can of worms again. Miyako was out of the question since she would probably quickly overtake any complaints that he had without her own about her multiple older siblings. Iori wasn't really someone you _complained_ to, not to mention the kid would give him that disapproving stare (rivaling any "mother's stare" Daisuke had ever seen) the next time they met that he seemed to have perfected in the recent years. Jyou was way too busy to bother, since he was preparing for medical school. Koushiro was probably knee deep in some technological problem and likely not to taking to being disturbed well. As for Sora and Mimi, they would both probably try to suggest he try to get along better with his sister, which was not the advice he was in a mind to hear at the moment.

Which left him just two other options, but he realistically ruled one of them out as not really an option at all. He wasn't stupid, despite what Miyako seemed to broadcast. He recognized that Hikari hadn't exactly been herself lately, not really depressed, but just always seeming so _sad_ all the time. He had tried to find out why, but Miyako had vehemently blocked any attempt. He had an idea, but it seemed the only person that could answer his questions hadn't talked to him in almost two years. Which brought him to his final option.

Takeru.

As he picked up his D-Terminal and started writing the email message, he wondered why he still wrote to someone who never replied. Every time he sent a message to him, he asked himself the same question and still only came up with one answer; he couldn't stop. That would be like giving up on him, and that was something Daisuke _could not_ do.

The stupid guy never did anything without a reason. It may have been a stupid or dumb reason, in Daisuke's opinion, but in all the time he's known him, Takeru's never done anything without a purpose. Daisuke _knew_ there had to been some reason for this, and he couldn't give up on him. He was part of the team, just like everyone else. And the Digidestined stuck together, no matter what.

Daisuke sent the finished rant/message. The D-Terminal confirmed that the message had been received. Daisuke didn't know if the stupid guy ever read his messages, but thought that he might. And for Daisuke, that was enough.


	3. Cracks

Setting: Odaiba—during "France"

Characters: Hikari, age 14, and Taichi, age 17

* * *

The small chime from her desk lifted Hikari's heart in desperate hope that _this_ time it could be him. With almost a surreal sense, Hikari lifted herself up from her bed and stepped lightly over to her desk, almost overcome with anticipation and dread. She glanced up at the clock and blinked. Three months, fourteen days, five hours and twenty-seven minutes…she stopped, her hand halfway toward her D-Terminal. She had really only been half-aware that she had kept track of the how long it had been since his last message. But he had _promised_ her that he would keep in touch. She wondered if there was something perhaps _she_ had done. She ran through her last messages to him, desperate to find reason in this, but came up with nothing.

She steeled her courage, what little she had these days without him by her side, and picked up the D-Terminal and flicked it open. She smiled at the brief message from Miyako, but disappointment struck deep across her heart.

Despite her smile, tears streamed unhindered down her cheeks and fell onto her hands where she still clutched the device that had so unknowingly cracked her heart again; she didn't even bother to try to stop the tears. She sank to her knees, soft sobs now racking her body. She didn't understand why…how…what; so many questions that she needed the answers to and the one person who could give them to her seemed to be lost to her.

They are…were best friends; she didn't know if they could still be called that. That bond that had held them so close together seemed so fragile, so delicate, and so full of cracks that she was afraid it would break at any moment.

She heard the front door open. She knew it was probably Taichi returning from soccer practice, and she inwardly knew she should stopped crying before he heard her. She didn't want him to worry, but her feelings were still so far from her reach to ring them in. She knew it was too late when she heard his shoes hit the floor and his quick steps toward their room.

The door opened and there was a pause before he walked over to her. He quietly took the D-Terminal from her fingers and set it gently to the side. "What wrong, Hikari?" he asked softly as he kneeled in front of her and placed his hands on her shoulders.

She looked up at him and his deep concern that she saw in his eyes broke her. She jumped into his arms, wrapping her own arms around his neck, clutching to him as if her life depended on it. "Why won't he talk to me, Taichi? What have I done?" she cried.

Taichi's arms tightened around her, but he didn't answer right away. His silent kindness shattered her cracked defenses and she sobbed into his shoulder. She could feel his jaw clench, but still he said nothing; he just held her as she cried herself into exhaustion.

Eventually, the sobs stopped and she could feel herself drifting off into sleep. She let herself fall into the darkness and peace that sleep might grant her. Just before she slipped off, she heard Taichi's soft admittance. "I don't know, Hikari," he finally said softly. "I don't know."


	4. Remembrance

Setting: "Reflections"

Characters: Takeru and Hikari plus Miyako

* * *

He remembered the first time he heard her name.

The seven of them had taken shelter from the snow just before they had been whisked away to the Digital World the first time. As they waited for the sudden and bizarre blizzard to end, Sora had turned to Taichi and asked, "Where's Hikari?"

"She got sick, so Mom wouldn't let her come to camp," Taichi replied.

"That's too bad," Sora said genuine concern and sadness displaying across her face.

"Who's Hikari?" Takeru had asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

Taichi looked at him, looking a little surprised at the question, but smiled and answered, "My little sister. She's the same age as you, actually."

"Oh," Takeru said. There was a moment of regret that there could have been someone his own age to talk to, some concern for the girl's illness, and a small hope that someday they might meet. But there was no real connection beyond that. Not then. Minutes later their adventure began and thoughts of Taichi's unknown sister were taken over by running from Digimon, hiding from Digimon, fighting Digimon, and trying to convince Yamato that he wasn't a baby anymore.

Eventually, he finally saw her for the first time. She was standing defiant against Myotismon. Angemon had just joined the fight and he looked at the Eighth Child, who he had just found out was Taichi's little sister he had heard of so long ago. He thought she was pretty, but he couldn't say it was love at first sight, since he was far too young then. But there had been the hope that they could become great friends and the connection he felt when he saw her Digimon was an angel as well.

They met officially just after landing on the ground outside the station, as the others celebrated.

"Hi, I'm Takeru," he said.

"I'm Hikari," she replied. They smiled at each other before Hikari's gaze had turned troubled as she looked up. He followed and understood her dread as the fog hadn't cleared. Against VenomMyotismon, they had fought alongside each other, their brothers, and their Digimon, shared feelings of doubt when asked to have their Digimon shoot Yamato and Taichi, and their deep connection they had held for so long started there with their similarities.

When they were back in the Digital World, he had wanted so desperately to go with Taichi and Koushiro to help his new best friend when she was sick. But Taichi had asked him to stay and protect her. And he made the promise that he would because, in just the short time they had known each other, Takeru knew that there was nothing more important to him anymore than keeping Hikari safe. He had come to love Taichi's little sister, just not in a romantic way. Not then.

He had stood next to her bed in the house they had taken refuge in, watching her.

"She'll be fine," Sora had assured him. "Taichi will be back soon with the medicine."

But he could tell she was worried and didn't want to frighten him. They had escaped the house, only to become separated again from the others. He sent Patamon off to look for the others while he stayed with Gatomon to watch over her again, because he had promised to protect her.

So when Sora had asked him to take Hikari and run to protect her during the battle with Piedmon, it had been easy to agree. He wanted to stay and help Sora, but he knew that he had to protect Hikari. He had made that promise to Taichi already. He had made that promise to himself.

After their second adventure began, he began to suspect he had more than just friendly feelings for Hikari, but he still was too young, not yet old enough to admit those feelings, even to himself. But it didn't matter then. They were best friends, and at the time, that was enough for him because they were supposed to have time later.

He had never been jealous of Daisuke, like he seemed to be of him. Annoyed, yes. Frustrated, yes. But never jealous. He had nothing to be jealous _of_. Takeru understood that his relationship with Hikari had a bond that no one could break or come between. There was no need to be jealous of Daisuke, not with Hikari. They were best friends and there was never a need or a want to change that. Not then.

Suddenly, their time had quite quickly run out, but still he felt no need to rush or push feelings onto Hikari that they weren't ready for. There had been the hope and the promise that they would be seeing each other soon and often. So, as he said good-bye to Hikari before leaving with his mother, he left those unacknowledged feelings deep within himself, thinking that they would have time later to blossom and grow in their own time. But it was not to be so.

Then he knew.

As he stood in the front of that class, watching as the beautiful girl by the window turned to look at him in disbelief, there was a recognition that went beyond just knowing it was Hikari. He knew that he loved her, but still the feelings were unaccepted and buried, knowing how he had hurt her, how very little he deserved to love her.

"What are you thinking about?"

Takeru startled out of his thoughts as Hikari's smiling face popped in front of his own. He smiled at her, their connection as unbroken and strong as it ever had been. She had forgiven him, but it was still not time. "Just about when we first met," he replied vaguely, knowing he couldn't tell her how deeply he was in love with her. Not yet.

She laughed and sat down next to him. "We were so little back then," she said with a bit of wistfulness in her voice. "I remember thinking you were quite adorable, actually. I knew we were going to be great friends."

"I had almost the same thoughts," Takeru said.

"Almost?" she repeated, raising her eyebrow in question.

He grinned at her. "I didn't think you were adorable," he teased. Her jaw dropped in indignation. "I thought you were pretty rather than adorable," he added, cutting off any rebuke she might have voiced. She playfully smacked his shoulder, laughing at his teasing. He reached over and grasped her hand with his own. "But I never doubted the hope of becoming best friends," he finished. The smile she gave him at those words, nearly took his breath away, it was so radiant.

"Hey, guys!"

Takeru let Hikari's hand slip from his grasp as Miyako ran over to where they were sitting. He stood up and smiled at their approaching friend. "What's up, Miyako?" he asked as Hikari stood up next to him.

"It's time to head home," she said. "Jyou has an exam coming up later this week that he'd like to get some time at home to study for."

"He should have said something sooner," Hikari said, worry in her voice.

"Yeah, whatever," Miyako said. "Let's go!" Then she was off again, racing toward the portal.

Takeru was about to follow, when he felt Hikari's fingers brush lightly over the back of his hand. He looked at her, wondering if she needed something, but her eyes were downcast. He was about to ask if anything was wrong, when she looked up at him, smiling beautifully and eyes shining. He just smiled back, not feeling the need to communicate with her using words. Finally, Miyako called back to them, breaking the moment, but as they followed her to the portal, Takeru couldn't help but feel the hope that perhaps the days of burying his feelings were not so many after all.


	5. Lost

Setting: Odaiba during "France"

Character: Yamato, age 17

* * *

Yamato's fingers strummed idly on the guitar, thinking once again about the last message he had received from Takeru. It hadn't come in an email. It hadn't been a phone call, since those had been few and far between given the cost of international calls. It hadn't even been a letter. It had simply been a postcard. In fact, if it hadn't come from France, he probably never would have known it was from Takeru at all.

It had comes months after his last message. Yamato had picked up the mail and had been instantly drawn to the card because of the color it displayed within the pile of white envelopes. It had depicted a landscape with the sun against the horizon. He remembered wondering if it was a rising sun or a setting sun, for it was impossible to tell. He set the rest of the mail on the counter before flipping the postcard over. Besides being addressed to him, there were only two words written on the card.

_I'm sorry._

That was it. There was no signature, nothing to tell him who the card was from. His eyes flicked up to where the stamp was, hoping for an indication of where the card might have come from.

**FRANCE**

"Takeru?" Yamato breathed. This was the first reply he had received from his little brother in months. He sent messages once and awhile; he had never been very good at keeping up with others. But there was never a reply. He asked Takeru if everything was alright or if he was okay but had only ever received silence. Now he had something, but, in a way, it was nothing really. Apparently Takeru was sorry about something, but gave no explanation of what or why.

Yamato walked to the computer and flicked it on. He tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for it to boot up, clutching the postcard in his hand. Once the computer was loaded, he brought up his email and composed a message to Takeru, asking for an explanation for the postcard. Then he waited for a reply.

Hours…

Days…

Weeks…

Silence.

There never had been a reply, and Yamato was beginning to think that there never would be. His fingers stopped plucking on the strings. He started having the choked feeling in his throat, something only Takeru could ever bring out in him. He had expected for him and his brother to grow up, but he never expected them to grow apart. He hated the chasm he felt cracking between them, but he didn't know how to get Takeru to talk to him.

It wasn't like Takeru to be like this, and Yamato didn't know how to deal with it.

Not long ago, Taichi had told him that Takeru stopped talking to Hikari and she was pretty upset about it. Yamato had confided that Takeru didn't talk to him either. Taichi had asked if he knew why, but Yamato didn't have an answer. It was Taichi who had said those words, that it wasn't like Takeru to do this, but Taichi didn't have a solution either.

Yamato was lost.


	6. Persistance

Setting: "France"

Characters: Natsuko and Takeru, age 16

* * *

It had been a shock, the first time she heard it.

"I'm going back to Odaiba."

Natsuko's spoon paused on the way to her mouth at her son's statement. Her eyes lifted to meet his. He was smiling, but there was a determination etched all over his face. She frowned, noticing for the first time that there was a light in his eyes that hadn't been there in a while. She set her spoon down and braced herself for an argument. "Takeru, what are you saying?" she asked with her voice dripping in disapproval.

"I don't want to argue with you right now," he said calmly. "But I wanted to at least let you know it's what I've decided. We can talk about it later, once you've calmed down." He stood up and walked to the kitchen with his dishes. Natsuko heard the sink running as Takeru rinsed his dishes. She sat for a moment in shock. She didn't know that was what Takeru wanted. He had been sad to leave his friends, and they had quite a few rows not long after arriving about the Digital World, which had resulted in her forbidding him to go there, but she didn't think that he was unhappy here.

She went through what she could say to him once he came back to talk about it, but he had just walked past her to his room, quietly telling her good night as he closed the door. Not really sure what she was supposed to do, since she had been prepared to tell him absolutely not under any circumstances that he was going, but perhaps he knew that. She wondered why he had brought it up at all. He had to know she wouldn't let him go.

By the time he brought it up again, she had nearly forgotten he had mentioned it at all.

"Are you ready to talk about it?" he asked her one day, weeks after that first mention.

"Talk about what?" she had asked, honestly not knowing what he meant.

"About me moving back to Odaiba," Takeru said casually.

"No," she said. "You're not going. End of discussion."

"I _am_ going, Mom," he said firmly. The look on his face reminded her so much of Hiroaki, when he was being stubborn about something. "In less than two years, I'll be eighteen and you won't be able to stop me. I don't care if I have to get a job, save all my money, and fly myself there, I _am_ going. I _have_ to go."

She couldn't believe that he was being this defiant about anything. Takeru usually just did whatever she told him to, without question. "Why is it so important to you?" she asked. "What's more important than being here with me…with your family?"

He looked away from her, so she couldn't see his expression. "It's important, Mom," he said. "I can't even begin to tell you how important this is to me." He sighed, dropping his eyes to the floor. "I guess you're not ready to talk about it yet. Good night, Mom." Once again, he went into his room, leaving Natsuko alone with her thoughts.

There was a longer gap than the previous time before he talked about it again. Spring had just arrived. Natsuko said that she missed going out and seeing the cherry blossoms every year.

"I'll see them next year when I'm in Odaiba. I'll have to send you pictures," Takeru said in that same casual tone she recognized from the previous two times he had brought up the subject.

Natsuko frowned at her son. "We've talked about this," she said. "You're not moving back to Japan."

Takeru shook his head. "We didn't talk about it," he said. "You decided I wasn't going. There wasn't any talking involved at all." He walked away from her again.

Over the next few months, Takeru would bring up the subject in that same casual way and with the same certainty that he was going. The mentions became more and more frequent. He never argued with her about it. Every time she got confrontational about it, Takeru would just walk away from the discussion. It seemed that as important as this seemed to be to him, he didn't _want_ to fight with her. She didn't understand that really. She didn't even understand why this was so important to him.

It was about the middle of the summer when she caught Takeru lounging on the couch. She sat down across from him, biting her lip. She hadn't brought up the subject with him before. It had always been him to broach the subject. He looked up at her expectantly, just waiting for her to say whatever it was she had come to him for. "Please tell me why you think it's so important that you go to Odaiba," she requested softly, surprising herself about how calm she sounded.

Takeru's whole face lit up into a smile. She gasped at how happy he looked at her simple words. This was a Takeru that she hadn't seen in so long. She didn't know how she could have not seen this and how she could have not noticed how unhappy he had been.

Perhaps, just perhaps, if this would _truly_ make Takeru happy, she could consider letting him go.


	7. Farewell

Setting: "France"

Characters: The Digidestined, but mostly Takeru and Hikari, age 13 and Taichi and Yamato, age 16

* * *

Hikari had not been looking forward to this day.

Her best friend was leaving her today. She would see him again, of that she had no doubt, but she had gotten so used to seeing him almost every day in the past two years, that it was going to be so hard to give that up. But there was nothing either of them could really do about it. His mother was moving to France and Takeru had to go with her. Everyone was going to his apartment this morning to say goodbye, but she didn't want to go. She didn't want to have to say goodbye to him.

The door opened, and Taichi walked in. "It's time to go," he said. "Are you ready?"

"I'm not going," she stated irrationally, not meeting his eyes. She was seated up against the bed with her legs drawn up to her chest. She was quite aware of how stupid it was of her to say that. Taichi would simply tell her that she was, she would agree, they would go, and Hikari's heart would be ripped from her chest.

But her brother surprised her. Taichi walked toward her and sat down next to her. "I see."

"That's it?" Hikari asked, still not looking at him. "You aren't going to tell me that we have to go?"

"I'm not going to force you to go, Hikari," Taichi said. She looked up at him and only saw concern and support on his face.

"You're not?" Hikari asked incredulously.

"No," Taichi said. "Can I ask why you don't want to go? Did you two have a fight or something?"

Hikari shook her head. "It's nothing like that," she said softly. She could feel the familiar heat in her eyes and knew that she was moments away from tears. She had held them at bay for so long, ever since Takeru had spoken the words that had torn her so completely. "How can I say good-bye to him?" she asked in a voice barely above a whisper and the tears that had threatened to fall began to stream silently down her cheeks.

Taichi reached an arm around her and pulled her to him. "You'll find the words," he said to her in a rare serious voice. "I think you'll regret it if you don't. Besides, it's not like you'll never see him again," he added in a lighter tone.

"Right," she said, wiping the tears from her cheeks. She laughed softly. "I probably look awful now," she said. "I told myself that I would see him off with a smile; that I wouldn't let him see me cry."

"You don't have to pretend, Hikari," Taichi told her. "Your best friend is leaving. As much as I hate to see you cry, I think you're allowed to in this situation."

She smiled at her brother. "Okay," she said. Despite her brother's word, she still held back the tears as she stood up. "We should go, or we'll be late."

Taichi stood up next to her. "Then, let's go."

* * *

"So," Yamato said drawing the word out slowly. The other Digidestined moved away to leave the brothers somewhat alone. "I guess this is it."

Takeru laughed, shaking his head at Yamato's loss for words. "Don't look so depressed, Yamato," he said clamping his hand onto his older brother's shoulder. "It's not like we'll never see each other again."

Yamato grimaced. "It's not the same," he said. "You're going to be on the other side of the world."

"I know," Takeru said still smiling. "But the Digital World has a way of making that seem not so far away." Yamato brushed a hand through his hair and chuckled softly. "What's so funny?" Takeru asked.

Yamato shook his head. "Just thinking about how I have to go to an entire different world to see my own brother, and how ridiculous that would probably sound if I told anyone else that."

Takeru laughed too. "My classmates are probably going to wonder why it seems like I disappear off the face of the earth sometimes," he said.

"Too bad you can't tell them that's exactly what happens," Yamato said, giving his brother a wry grin.

"Yeah," Takeru said. He glanced around a bit before turning back to Yamato. "Do you know why Hikari and Taichi are late?" he asked, his voice betraying how worried he was that they weren't there yet.

Yamato shook his head. "Taichi told me they were on the way," he said. He placed a hand on Takeru's shoulder. "They'll be here. Don't worry." He frowned and pulled Takeru into a hug. "I'm going to miss you, little brother."

Takeru returned the hug. "Me too," he said.

"Takeru!"

He turned out of his brother's arms. His face split into a smile when he saw Hikari and Taichi running towards them. He stepped away from Yamato to catch Hikari in his arms and twirled her around just once before setting her on the ground. "I was afraid you weren't going to make it," he told her. Though he was smiling brightly at her, he knew that she would hear the worry in his voice. She knew him too well not to.

"Sorry," she said. "I almost didn't come," she admitted.

"Why not?"

"I didn't want to say good-bye," Hikari said. "I didn't want you to see me cry, either, but Taichi convinced me that I would regret not coming. And he was right."

"I'm not going to be gone forever, Hikari," he told her.

"It doesn't matter," she said, shaking her head. He could see the tears as they gathered at the corners of her eyes. "I still don't want you to leave, Takeru."

"I don't really want to go, either," he said, admitting it for the first time. Since learning he was leaving, he had tried to play it off with his friends, saying that it didn't matter that he was leaving or how far away he was going to be. He didn't want his friends to see how much the move was saddening him. But he suddenly couldn't pretend in front of Hikari anymore. She knew him better than anymore, even himself in some ways. "I still have to go."

"I know that, too," she said.

She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face against his chest. He heard her mumble something, but he couldn't understand what she said. "What?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said, pulling away from him. She smiled at him, but he could tell it didn't nearly reach her eyes. She was forcing herself. "Good-bye, Takeru."

For once, he didn't force himself to smile back. He leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her forehead, something he had never done before. "Good-bye, Hikari," he whispered. He backed up from her and turned to the rest of the Digidestined, placing a smile on his face as he waved and called his farewell to the rest of them. He followed his mother to the car and climbed in the seat next to her. He looked out the window and waved again to the Digidestined, who waved back. He kept his eyes on Hikari until they drove out of sight.


	8. Arrival

Setting: "Final Hope: Return"

Characters: Takeru and Yamato

* * *

Takeru took a deep breath as the plane landed. It wasn't the flying that was the problem; it was where he was. He had no problem flying; he had plenty of experience with…Patamon. He sighed as he thought of his Digimon. He was still feeling so guilty for leaving his treasured companion for so long. He had no idea how he was going to deal with that when it came up, because it was inevitable that it would come up eventually. Just as he was about to go get on the plane, his mother had hesitantly apologized for forbidding him from going to the Digital World and told him that he should go whenever he felt like it.

"I was wrong," she said. "I should have listened to you when you tried to explain why it was important. I should have known you wouldn't have argued with me about it if it wasn't."

He had hugged her and said, "It's all right, Mom. I shouldn't have argued either."

They had parted on great terms and Takeru had spent so many hours on the plane before this touchdown. Before his arrival in Japan.

The flight attendant came onto the speaker, reminding them to get their luggage from the rack above and thanking them for flying with them. Takeru stayed seated for a minute while the passengers around him stood up to hurry off the plane. He knew he wouldn't have to be in a hurry. His father wouldn't be on time, if he was coming at all.

He was pretty sure that his father would have told Yamato, at least, that he was coming. Yamato would have definitely told the rest of the Digidestined, but they had all be suspiciously silent towards him, particularly Daisuke, who had been sending him messages these four years he had been in France. But he was too worried of their reactions to send a message himself. So worried about whether they would forgive him for hurting them like he had. He had reasons, one in particular that he wasn't planning on telling them, since it was useless to make them worry about something that had happened a while ago and was over, but he was still worried they wouldn't accept him back without resentment.

He was so worried about what he would say to Hikari.

He finally stood up, grabbed his backpack, and walked behind at the end of the line of people shuffling off the plane. Once he stepped into the terminal he told himself he would give his father two hours to get there, then he would find his own way home. His mother had given him some cash to take a bus or the train. So he wasn't shocked when he got to the entrance of the airport and didn't see his father. He got out his D-Terminal and shot an email off to his father, then headed for a seat near the entrance after grabbing his duffel bag from the luggage pick-up.

He pulled his book that he had specifically brought to read while he waited for his dad from his backpack and began to flip through the pages.

Two hours passed, where his could keep his thoughts absorbed in the story of the book and off the reaction from his friends. He heard someone call his name, a voice that seemed very familiar. He looked up and in the direction the call had come from. He felt shock run through him when he recognized his older brother. Yamato hadn't changed very much in four years, but there were enough changes to make him realize just how long four years could be. He smiled and laughed at the shocked look on Yamato's face, who was probably having similar thoughts as himself.

"Let me guess. Dad's busy with work," Takeru said, speaking the first words he had said to his brother in such a very long time.

"Yeah," Yamato replied as he came to stand before him. He gave that half-smile that Takeru knew so well. The half-smile that gave him the reassurance that, despite everything, they were still brothers and his path to forgiveness was perhaps not as long as he thought.


	9. Rival

Setting: "Final Hope: Before Reunion"

Characters: Daisuke and Miyako

* * *

"Could you please get the phone, Daisuke?" his mother called.

"Sure, Mom," he was quick to answer so that she wouldn't discover that he had been juggling a soccer ball in his room _again_. His mother was still rather upset about the lamp he had broken two weeks ago. He threw the soccer ball onto his bed and went out into the living room and grabbed the phone. "Hello?"

"Have you heard?"

Daisuke frowned. "Who is this?"

"It's Miyako, you dimwit. Now, have you heard?"

"Have I heard what?"

There was something oddly gleeful about Miyako's voice when she said, "Perfecto! Then I get to be the first one to tell you."

"Tell me what?" Daisuke asked, growing ever more impatient with his exuberant friend.

"He's back."

Daisuke, for the first time in a _very_ long time, stilled completely. There was really only one person he could think of that Miyako would be referring to by using those words, but Daisuke still found himself uttering, "Who's back?"

"Takeru, duh. Who else would I be talking about?" Miyako said with exasperation. "Anyway, Ken said he showed up at their school yesterday. He's coming to the get-together this weekend, so we'll all get to see him. Ken said we should all probably wait until then so that he can get adjusted back easily without us hovering over him. I think that's a good idea, but I can't wait to tell him how mad I am at him for not talking to us. Hikari was pretty devastated, you know, but Ken said the two of them seem to be getting along just fine and she seems much happier than she's been lately."

Daisuke let Miyako ramble on, really only half-listening to what she was saying.

Takeru was back.

"Well, I've got to call Koushiro and Jyou now to make sure that they know too. Bye!" She hung up without waiting for him to say good-bye. He held the phone to his ear with the dial tone barely registering in his mind. After a few seconds, he set the phone down back on its cradle, finally realizing that Miyako had hung up. He frowned slightly, wondering exactly how he was supposed to feel about this.

Takeru was back.

Suddenly, his face split into a huge grin. He was about to jump into the air and whoop loudly, but he stopped with his hand halfway up as his grin turned into a frown. He thought about it for another second and decided that he should to be mad at the stupid guy. After all, Takeru was his rival. And he had left them.

But as he walked back into his room, he couldn't seem to help the small grin that tug at the corner of his mouth.


End file.
